The following excerpt is taken from HealthLeaders Media’s John Commins based on a recent survey of more than 2000 physicians. The online survey by Jackson Healthcare was conducted between April 19-27, before the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act..
“Blaming low compensation and the hassles of healthcare reform, 34% of physicians say they plan to leave the practice of medicine over the next decade, according to a new national survey.The online survey of 2,218 physicians by Atlanta-based healthcare staffing recruiters Jackson Healthcare also found that 16% of the respondents said they will, or are strongly considering, retiring, leaving medicine, or going part-time in 2012..
Sheri Sorrell, market research manager for Jackson Healthcare, says many of the essay responses from responding physicians were quite lengthy and emotional, especially as they related their reactions to the sweeping changes in medicine that will be brought on by healthcare reform and market demands..
‘Some doctors wrote books for us in here. A lot of them are very concerned about the depersonalization and corporatization of medicine,’ Sorrell says. ‘It used to be the family doctor treated your family for years basing the decisions on what is best for you and your family. Whereas an employed doctor not only has to take into account not only what is best for you and your family but also what the organization will allow him to do and what the organization’s guidelines for treating you are.’.
The survey also found that specialists were more inclined to leave medicine in the next decade, including:.

Oncologists and hematologists — 57% said they would retire by 2022

Otolaryngologists — 49% said they would retire in the next decade

General Surgeons — 49% said they would retire by 2022

Cardiologists — 45% said they would retire in the next decade

Urologists — 42% said they would retire by 2022

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Of those physicians who said they plan to retire or leave medicine this year, 56% cited economic factors and 51% cited health reform as among the major factors. Of those physicians who said they are strongly considering leaving medicine in 2012, 55% or 97 physicians, were under age 55..
‘That’s what we were most surprised about; that the majority of the folks that were considering leaving medicine or planning to leave medicine this year were under 55 years old. The key takeaway is that they’re not retiring; they’re quitting,’ Sorrell says.”.
John Commins is an Editor with HealthLeaders Media. For more information, please visit:.http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/PHY-282762/1-in-3-Physicians-Plans##

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